Ravenclaw House
by Quirkyfire
Summary: Daphne Greengrass's younger sister Vanessa is a Ravenclaw, and could be the object of affection of many, including a certain Slytherin. But Vanessa might not be as perfect as she seems...
1. Chapter 1

"Vanessa! We're going to be late!" Daphne Greengrass stared at her sister in disbelief. Vanessa was still just sitting there. Daphne flicked her wand and Vanessa's book snapped closed on its own accord, and only then did her sister look up.

"Daphne!" Vanessa whined up at her. Daphne rolled her eyes and tugged her younger sister up by the elbow and towards the fireplace where their things were waiting. "The train leaves in thirty minutes! You shouldn't be reading."

"Wit beyond measure is man's greates-"

"I don't care! If we're late for the train then you'll miss your classes!" Daphne told her. This time it was Vanessa's turn to roll her eyes.

"Daphne, the train leaves in thirty minutes," Daphne nodded so she went on, "We floo to the train station, and get on the train, and then we're off. We don't need thirty minutes, we barely need five."

Daphne and Vanessa had conflicting personalities, which had placed them in different Hogwarts houses, despite how close they were. Daphne was in Slytherin, and in the same year as Blaise Zabini, her boyfriend. Vanessa had broken a family tradition and was placed in Ravenclaw, much to her sister's shock. Vanessa was a scheming little witch ever since she was four, and Daphne couldn't understand how a opportunistic prankster like her sister could have ever been placed in anything other then Slytherin.

Daphne was a somewhat beauty obsessed witch. She had long bone straight red hair with side swept bangs and fair skin with brownish hazel eyes. Unlike most Slytherins she had an insecure streak and relied on others opinions more than she should have.

Vanessa however was upfront and spontaneous. She had no regard for beauty but instead loved studying magical concepts. The Greengrass natural beauty however was not lost on her. Wavy strawberry blond hair fell a little past her shoulders and aquamarine eyes accented her ivory skin.

Daphne tugged her luggage into the green flames and flooed to the train station. Vanessa did nothing. For a minute she contemplated following and then remembered that she had planned to pack her books that morning. She sedately walked back over to the marble staircase and scurried up to her room.

'_Concepts of Dueling Deceptions', 'Reflecting the Dark Arts', and 'A Foreign Guide to Creating Abstract Potions' _Vanessa read the titles as she stacked them next to her bookcase.

"_Reducio"_ Vanessa thought as she flicked her wand and the books shrunk until she could fit them into her purse.

Finally she headed back down stairs and wrote a note to her parents, saying that she'd write regularly. They had needed to work that day, and thought that the girls could find their way onto the express on their own.

Vanessa cast a time charm, tempus, to find that she had about ten minutes.

"Mau!" Vanessa called for her cat, and watched in amusement as it streaked around the corner only to slightly miss a table, accidentally caught her claws on the oriental rug and twisted to a stop at her feet. Vanessa smiled as the little cat squirmed to give her owner a questioning glance.

"Sorry about this Mau, but I'll have to protect society from you" Vanessa waved her wand and the cat was stuck inside a small crate, "I'll let you out on the train."

After picking it up, she danced over to the fireplace grabbed her suitcase and whispered 'Platform 9 and 3/4' only to spot the book she was reading earlier still laying on the couch. Without thinking she flicked her wand at it and to her surprise it appeared in her arms right as the fireplace started to spin.

-----

Sighing in relief she stepped out of the fire and gathered her trunk and cat before taking off towards the falsely solid wall that acted as a barrier between muggles and the magical world. She glanced over at the clock only to realize that the train would leave in less than three minutes. She dashed through the wall hoping that that wasn't too conspicuous, and pushed her way through the crowd of parents that were saying farewell to their little ones. She reached the train just as it began to move, and thankfully someone from inside opened the door and grabbed her trunk as she scampered inside.

"Your sister thought you weren't going to make it." Vanessa turned around and spotted the familiar face of Draco Malfoy. She gave him a brief hug and thanked him for helping her inside.

"Its no big deal. Earned me a few galleons actually." he grinned, and Vanessa rolled her eyes.

"Should of known you'd make a bet with my sister. Of course, wouldn't helping me be cheating?" Vanessa asked, knowing the answer.

"Since when have I played fair?"

Vanessa brushed by him and began to look for a compartment.

"They're all full, you might want to sit with your sister. Damn first years." She laughed and picked out her sister's loud voice and followed it to the compartment. She slid open the door, and leaned against the side while sticking her head in.

"Mind if I sit with you sis?"

Daphne regarded her sister for a moment before smiling.

"Of course! You need a little more Slytherin influence anyway."

Draco followed Vanessa inside and sat down while she secured her trunk on one of the upper shelves. She sat down next to Draco straight across from her sister and Blaise.

"So Draco, I heard that you managed to secure a job at the ministry, congratulations." Daphne praised, then she spotted the head boy badge pinned to his tailored robes, "And you made head boy!"

"Yes, my father was ecstatic. I'm also junior assistant to the Head of International Magical Cooperation. I won't start until after I graduate however."

There was a small silence before Daphne turned and began discussing career choice with her boyfriend. Suddenly a loud caterwauling came from directly over Draco's head. He jumped a foot in the air and Vanessa flinched violently in surprise before laughing at the look in Draco's shocked face.

"Its just Mau, I told him I'd let him out in the train. Do you mind?" Vanessa explained, and Draco looked somewhat reluctant before shrugging. She twisted in her seat and aimed her wand at the upper compartment before flicking it to make the crate disappear. Mau tensed before sticking his head out to look down at the Slytherins and solitary Ravenclaw. Slowly he stretched backward with a yawn before shifting his weight forward to fall into a petite heap in Vanessa's lap. Draco laughed, and the compartment door was slid open once again.

"Vanessa!" Mandy Brocklehurst and Lisa Turpin stood outside the door, already dressed in their Ravenclaw uniforms.

"Mandy, Liss!" Vanessa hopped up to hug her friends before asking how their summer's were. Both girls launched into short summaries before asking why she was sitting with a bunch of Slytherins.

"Oh, Daphne's my sister, Blaise is her boyfriend and I've known Draco for years." At this Draco grinned, and both girls looked stunned.

"Right, well, we've got a compartment to ourselves, come sit with us." Mandy said before waving goodbye to the rest and heading back into the hall. Vanessa gathered her things and clicked her tongue at her cat, who perked up from Draco's lap.

"Bye Sis, Draco." Vanessa nodded at Blaise before following Lisa towards their compartment.

-----

Terry, Michael and Anthony looked up while the three of them climbed in and then resumed their passionate discussion on the upcoming quidditch matches. Terry and Michael were newly appointed Chasers and Anthony had become Keeper the year before. Roger Davis was the remaining Chaser as well as the captain. Marcus Belby and Eddie Carmichael played as beaters. Vanessa thought for a moment, questioning whether or not the Seeker had graduated the year before.

"Guys, whose the Seeker this year?" Vanessa interrupted their discussion to ask.

"Thank god, I was afraid she had lost interest in Quidditch over break." Terry let out a sigh of relief before turning to Michael, "Cho's resigned since last year, do you think Davis will hold try outs?"

"Most likely, of course anyone would be better than Cho. She didn't even pay attention last year." Michael answered, "You think you want to try out 'Nessa?" The pair of girls and the rest of the guys looked up to listen to her answer. She thought about it a moment. _I'd hate it if we finished last like last year. Losing even to Hufflepuff..._

"You should Vanessa. I've seen you fly. You're damn fast." Terry thought out loud, and Vanessa turned abruptly to him.

"You've never seen me fly."

Terry looked sheepish for a moment before responding, trying to avoid her eyes.

"You fly in the morning. Right off the veranda."

"Terry!" She glared at him for a moment, and he bit his lip. Her face turned red.

"I've seen you too." Lisa cut in, "You're pretty good, and it wouldn't hurt to try out."

"I'll do it with you Vanessa! We can all three try out, it'll be fun!" Mandy said. Everyone laughed, Mandy the hardest. She could barely stay on a broom.

"Alright." Vanessa smiled. She had even received a new broom over the summer. The Black Falcon. It might not have been as flashy as other brooms, but it specialized in high speed turns and dives. It would probably serve her well.

-----

A/N: Tell me what you thought was funny, and what you thought was boring, and if you don't review, I'll smother you in honey, paint you blue, strap you to a snowboard, and push you down the half pipe in the middle of x games. twitch

-SM


	2. Chapter 2

After she had patrolled the corridor as part of her prefect duties, Vanessa remembered that Mau would probably be getting hungry soon and looked around for him inside their compartment.

_That's strange._

She had changed into her school robes a few hours ago, and they were due to be at Hogsmeade in less then a minute.

"Mau?" The five of them looked at her funny. They hadn't met her cat. But Vanessa wasn't worried about that at the moment. _Where is Mau? God, what if he's lost?_ She clicked her tongue urgently for him. Her friends were now looking at her like she was having some kind of an attack.

"Mau!" Vanessa leaped out of her seat and into the aisle, slid the door open and streaked down the hall, much to the bewilderment of her friends. "Mau!"

The Hogwarts Express pulled up to the station with a loud screech from its wheels, and students within the train all began to spill out into the hall.

Vanessa thought back to where she had last seen him. _He was, curled up in Draco's lap!_ Vanessa raced back to her sister's compartment and flicked back the door with her wand.

"Where's Mau?" She asked them as she tried to catch her breath, but when she looked up she realized that they had already exited the compartment.

Trusting her friends to bring out her stuff since she had left so strangely, she stood on her toes to try to look for a familiar head of blond. She couldn't see him. The movements of the crowd jostled her towards the doors and out onto the pavement in Hogsmeade.

"Mau!" She called for her cat but knew it was useless. No one could hear her through this racket. The crowd slowly dispersed and entered the nearby carriages one by one, while the first years followed a professor down to the boats. Vanessa felt like crying. She's only had Mau for a couple of months and now..._ Don't think that._ Now the crowd was almost completely gone. Vanessa made her face remain stoic as she entered the second to last carriage. A bunch of Hufflepuffs met her weary gaze.

A mild conversation that Vanessa could not recall went on during the ride to the castle, and when Vanessa got out, she absent-mindedly stroked the beasts pulling the carriage as she walked by. A second year Ravenclaw stopped and watched her do this with wide eyes before running up to her.

"You can see them too?" The Ravenclaw asked nervously. She had elegant dark reddish brown hair that reached down to her chin, and freckles decorated her young face.

"Of course. Don't worry, you're not going insane. You can only see them once you've accepted death into your life." Vanessa explained, and almost laughed when the girl looked even more freaked out, "I'm Vanessa Greengrass, what's your name?"

"Lea Finnigan, nice to meet you."

"And you. Well we better get going. You're welcome to sit with me if you like." Vanessa knew from prior experience that Ravenclaws were generally introverted and had a fairly tough time making friends, especially during the first couple of years of Hogwarts. Proving her point, Lea nodded silently and began to follow her inside.

Right when she entered the Entrance Hall she spotted Draco leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, talking to a few other Slytherins. She turned quickly to make sure Lea was still alright, since this was her first time not riding the boats, before hurrying over to them.

"Draco, have you-" She was interrupted by the awestuck stares of his friends, she glared at them harshly, and they grinned. She turned back to Draco "Have you seen Mau?" Draco smiled and uncrossed one of his arms indicating that he was hiding something in his cloak. He brought out a fluffed up sleeping Mau and carefully handed him to Vanessa.

"The door closed right in his face when he tried to follow you. He's fine." Draco explained. Vanessa grinned and shifted the cat in her arm.

"Thanks." Vanessa said.

Draco sneered, "You owe me." She rolled her eyes and turned around, not oblivious to the Slytherin guys checking her out.

"Who was he?" Lea asked when Vanessa came back, but forgot her question immediately after seeing the kitten that Vanessa placed in her arms.

"Oh! He's so cute!" Lea said, and snuggled her face into his fur.

"Lea!" Someone across the hall called out to her and Lea looked up and waved them over. A seventh year Gryffindor approached them.

"Lea, I was wondering where you had got to. I'll see you tomorrow during breakfast since we won't be able to sit close at the feast."

"Alright, Seamus? Have you met Vanessa? She's in Ravenclaw too. Vanessa this is my brother Seamus." Lea introduced them.

"Nice to meet you Seamus."

"Nice to meet you." They began walking towards the Great Hall, "Would you mind making sure she's okay this year?" Seamus leaned closer to Vanessa to ask, to make sure Lea wouldn't hear.

"I don't mind." she whispered. He nodded his thanks and headed off to his own table while Lea lead the way towards their own. After sitting down Lea handed Mau back to Vanessa and she was surprised to find that he was still sleeping. She hid him inside her robes.

"Vanessa! There you are!"

Both Ravenclaws turned to see her friends rushing over to sit near them. Liss sat to her left and Terry sat down beside Lea, nodding to her reassuringly. Mandy and the others sat across from them. They all looked at her expectantly.

"Guys, this is Lea Finnigan. Lea, these are my friends." Vanessa said while staring at Mandy. Mandy got the point and introduced them individually. In the mean time, Vanessa turned to Liss and told her that she'd explain what happened later.

-----

Finally the large oak doors sweeped open to reveal a quirky bunch of worried looking first years. The volume in the Hall muted and everyone watched as the lights dimmed so that the room was lit by the floating candles and the stars above.

Their scuffling footsteps echoed eerily on the stone floor, and as they passed the entire length of the Ravenclaw table everyone smiled at them comfortingly, so that by the end they didn't look so nervous.

The hat sang a typical song of the history of the school, and the traits of the four founders. The sorting began and there was a resounding thunder of applause as the first boy was sorted into Gryffindor. Vanessa wasn't following until she felt Lea stiffen beside her and heard the name Heather Finnigan being called. A light brunette with freckles stepped up to the stool. Several moments passed as the hat sat atop the girls head.

"RAVENCLAW!"

The table exploded as Heather was named the first Ravenclaw of the year. Lea jumped onto her seat, which didn't make much of a difference, and clapped as hard as possible while Vanessa motioned to the girl to indicate that she was welcome to sit by her. Heather skipped towards them and climbed into the space made for her by Vanessa. Both sisters clasped eachothers hands and squealed, as Ravenclaws up and down the table congratulated her. After the sorting ended the Headmistress, Ms. Mcgonagall said a few words, and food appeared before the students. Lea and Heather were talking animatedly with Terry, while Mandy, Anthony, and Michael argued about something. Vanessa and Lisa talked quietly about the quidditch try outs.

When dinner ended Ravenclaw stood up as one and lead the way out of the great hall, accept for the new first years and the prefects.

-----

Vanessa and Anthony were the sixth year prefects, and so lead the first years out of the Hall and up to the west wing on the fifth floor after most of the school had gone. Anthony stopped in front of a marble framed oak door with one ionic roman catholic column on each side. Nothing obscured the wooden door except for an engraved bronze door knocker displaying the Ravenclaw Eagle.

"In order to get through to the Ravenclaw Common room, you need to answer a question correctly or wait for someone to come along and do so." All of the first years looked at him like he was telling them the secret to life.

Anthony grabbed the knocker and knocked once. All of the first years waited with baited breath, and Anthony's chest swelled with self importance. A crisp sing song voice began:

"_A duck is swimming in a lake. A cat is sitting on her tail. If the duck dives, what happens to the cat?"_

Vanessa laughed. It was a trick question, but when Anthony answered she laughed harder.

"The cat will get wet?" Anthony attempted

"Sadly no."

Anthony looked as if he had deflated. Vanessa looked around. None of the first years seemed to get it, and she really wanted to get to her dorms, so she stepped forward and whispered urgently to the door.

"Nothing will happen. The cat is sitting on her own tail." No one else heard what she said, so she grabbed Lea's hand who grabbed Heather's hand and strolled easily through the solid door.

In order for more than one person to get through the door on one answer, they needed to be holding hands. Vanessa laughed when they entered the room. Anthony would be stuck with that riddle for a long time.

A low murmur from the older students emanated from the room. They relaxed on blue and bronze pillows strewn across the floor near the fireplaces that occupied the walls to the left and right of the door. These pillows appeared and disappeared when they were needed, so the common room was almost always tidy, aside from books strewn about, but no one can do anything about that.

The common room was a pentagonal area with deep midnight blue carpet, and a severl story tall domed ceiling that reflected the nights stars at all hours of the day. Blue and bronze curtains framed the large arched windows that reached to the second floor, and between these were several more ionic columns that had been hollowed out to shelve books. The windows looked out to an impossible view of the surrounding mountains and hillsides, that seemed deep purple due to the dying light.

Directly across from the door was a beautiful marble sculpture of Ravenclaw herself, sitting atop a column with a book in one hand leaning back with her other. Her diadem was remarkably pronounced on her wavy hair.

Beautifully designed bookcases lined the walls everywhere there was space for them.

Two wrought iron spiraling staircases lead to the upper floor and the dormitories. On that level there were more marble arched windows, and a double french door that lead out onto a stone veranda.

Elaborate portraits occupyed the rest of the walls, and the older students knew that each led to a different wing of the school, and used these to their utmost advantage when sneaking out at night.

"Did you understand the riddle?" She asked to the two younger girls. Lea nodded, and explained it to Heather. Then Lea turned to Vanessa.

"Vanessa this is my little sister, Heather this is Vanessa, she's a sixth year." Heather looked awed for a moment.

"If you ever need anything just ask, I'll be happy to help." Vanessa said. At that moment Anthony finally got through the door with the rest of the first years.

"Vanessa! You evil little..." Anthony couldn't even describe how evil she was, so simply towered over her glaring. She grinned mischieviously up at him, then turned swiftly around to gather the first years to explain the rules of the Ravenclaw Common room.

"Upperclassmen, please take a moment to welcome our new first years!" Vanessa started. A wholehearted cheer rung through the room, and brought a smile to everyone's face.

"Everyone, I'm sure you're excited for another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," loud cheer "and in Ravenclaw it is necessary to use your intellect when making decisions, which we do quite well," more cheers "so it is not necessary to have many strict rules." very loud cheer

"First do not get _caught_ outside of the common room after nine thirty, First years, for you its eight thirty." Vanessa heard her words repeated throughout the common room and whispers about how she had stressed the, 'do not get caught'. She grinned and continued.

"Second, do not get caught with anything that has been banned by Filch. If you are not sure about whether or not it is banned, you can check with him, or you can simply keep it a secret." There was a great deal of laughing after this.

"Third, sadly, first year students are not allowed to have their own broomsticks, but the rule says nothing about borrowing someone else's." the first years cheered

"Fourth, do not get caught using magic in the corridors, and do not get caught dueling in general." more cheering

"Fifth, the restricted section of the library," there were groans in the audience, "Is only to be accessed by prefects or the headboy or girl, otherwise a student must have a signed note from a professor." Vanessa swore she could hear the students trying to get around that rule. _The real answer is simply to ask a prefect._

"Sixth, third year students and up must have a signed form to visit hogsmeade, first and second years should not be caught outside the school boundary." Laughter.

"And finally, seventh, boys are not allowed in the girl's dormitories and vice versa. If you attempt to break this rule, you will be cursed." Several upperclassmen shivered since they knew what would happen, and the younger students simply looked terrified.

"Also, due to many changes in the schedules, only first through fifth years will have to attend classes tomorrow." Anthony Goldstein added to the end of her speech. Several students looked shocked, so he continued, "the sixth and seventh years have not decided which NEWT classes to take, due to the fact that the sheets were not sent out to us, therefore, all they need to do tomorrow is decide which classes they want to take."

"Sleep well everyone." Vanessa said and then added, "First year girls, please follow me to your new dorms."

"And first year boys, follow me." Anthony repeated

-------

A/N: Hi again. Tell me what you thought was interesting, and what you thought was derogatory, and if you don't review I'll dissect a dragon, suck out all of its eye fluids and force feed it to your nose. giggle

-SM


	3. Chapter 3

Vanessa swept toward the spiraling staircase behind her, as Anthony led the others towards its twin. She swiftly ascended the stairs and made her way to the oak door similar to the Ravenclaw entrance and waited until everyone was gathered to begin.

"I know, you all want to get to sleep, but the password to this hall is very significant. As you know, the world and everything in it is delicately balanced. This harmony is personified as the moon and the sun, which dance endlessly in the sky. Every opposite can be sorted into this anomaly, and such feminine nature is balanced by masculine nature. We are equal but different. Therefore the password for the girl's dormitory is and always will be, 'Moon'." At this, the door opened with splendor and revealed a beautiful sweeping midnight blue hallway with bronze furnishings. The girls behind her gasped as she sauntered into the wide space, once again lit by the stars in the ceiling. On the right side of the hall was a panoramic window that stretched the length of the corridor, and on the left were seven embellished doorways, each with an embellished number on the front.

"Each door is for a different year. We do keep private from eachother but if you ever need anything," Vanessa gestured to the second door on the left, "I'm right through here in the door on the right." Vanessa continued down the hall, "Each year your dorms will switch places, but its still the same dorm. I know that sounds strange, but you'll get it later on." The first years laughed and Vanessa finally waltzed up to the final door that had a 1 on the front.

"This is your dorm. Treat it well, it will be yours for seven years." At this, Vanessa opened the door with a flourish.

She laughed at their expressions when they saw another extravagant hallway.

"You didn't expect to all be in one room did you?" Vanessa teased them. She entered motioned to the doors on each side. "Each dorm room houses four girls, as you can see your names are already engraved in bronze on each door."

At this, the first years dashed past her to locate their room. She smiled and walked to the end of the hall to wait for them to finish investigating. On her way she scanned the dorms.

Each was pentagonal, with the door occupying one side. Each four-poster bed had a wall to itself, and had a canopy of bronze silk. Each person had their own window, and bookcase, along with a large trunk with bronze fastenings at the end of each bed. The curtains framed the marble arched windows much like they did in the common room.

An empty space resided in the center of each room, Vanessa briefly remembered dancing, pillowfights, and passionate discussions taking place there. Of course pillows littered the room. Three resided on each window sill, four on each bed, and several bronze floor pillows lined up against the wall, for the discussions that were bound to happen in any Ravenclaw dorm.

Vanessa reached the end of the hall, and waited expectantly for a few moments. The first years assembled quickly and happily while Vanessa explained what was inside the door at the end of the hall.

"Obviously you'll need somewhere nice to bathe..." Vanessa drawled while leisurely pushing open the door.

White. Beautiful white marble tile covered everything in the pentagonal master bathroom. Private bathrooms and stalls lined the room along with a sink and shelf for each girl. Vanessa closed her eyes, _any second now_... Squeals of delight echoed ear-splittingly through the marble room, and the girls rushed in to find their magically engraved sink.

Vanessa allowed them a few seconds to take in their surroundings, before addressing them again.

"Ladies," everyone turned to listen respectfully to her, "Take good care of what Hogwarts has given you, and give back through your studies. Also be sure to get enough sleep tonight, and do not, I repeat do not make too much noise. I am not responsible for what the seventh years might do." Vanessa's eyes indicated her amusement, and she smiled and raised her arms in a welcoming gesture before continuing, "And last but not least, Welcome to Ravenclaw."

-----

Vanessa danced back to the sixth year hall and easily opened the door before walking through.

"Vanessa!"

The room directly to her right was wide open, and her dormmates were seated in a circle of pillows in the center of the room looking as if they were waiting for her.

"Hey girls," Vanessa smiled warmly at the three other girls in the dorm. For the last five years she had shared her dorm with Mandy, Lisa, and Luna. All four of them had become independent friends with eachother, and understood as Ravenclaws, that friends sometimes needed a break from one another. Vanessa looked at Mandy and Lisa, "Thanks for bringing my things out from the train, I was a bit preoccupied."

"Oh no problem." Mandy exchanged a glance with Liss before continuing, "We have reason to believe you're going insane."

Vanessa laughed until her stomach hurt, and knew that it wasn't helping her case.

"Guys, Mau is my cat." Vanessa explained to their utter astonishment. To prove her point, Vanessa called for her, "Mau!"

A screech was heard from down in the common room, and then several screams. They heard something tear through the carpet and into the sixth year hallway, and suddenly heard a dreadful scratching noise that vibrated the door, accompanied by a howl.

"That sounds like a Perrifian panthera." Luna said as Mandy and Lisa watched the door in stricken dread.

"How big is it?" Mandy asked as Vanessa strolled over to the door and let the kitten in. Mau, new to the environment stalked through the opening and glared at the new people.

Lisa reacted very well.

"Oh! That's your cat? It's so small..." She beckoned it over with her hand, and the cat let out a gleeful purr before prancing over to sit in the girl's lap. Mandy moved over to the kitten to stroke its head. Luna sat very still, examining the cat with with keen interest.

"Vanessa." Luna started, "That's a perrifian panthera." Vanessa laughed, and asked what that was, "Its a miniature panther with magical capabilities. They are poisonous when they want to be, and are almost completely impervious to magic. Its amazing."

"Well then I'm very lucky. Mau come here." The cat obeyed and Vanessa picked him up and walked over to her bed. "You must be starving." With a flick of her wand two marble dishes appeared and filled themselves with food. Mau started eating with gusto.

The rest of the girls slowly started to get ready for bed and Vanessa did the same. After she was unpacked, her books were stored in her own personal bookcase, and she was dressed in her blue silk pajamas she climbed into her bed and closed the bronze hangings.

"G'night." Her words were echoed around the room, and the lights dimmed until it was pitch black. With Mau curled against one of her pillows already dreaming, it was easy for Vanessa to drift in to a relaxed slumber.

-----

Vanessa woke with a start the following morning. Light shone through her curtains, and it took her a second to untangle herself from her sheets. She pushed the curtain to one side while reaching for her wand with her other hand. She yawned and stretched, before looking to her side to see Mau doing the same thing.

"Mau, at Hogwarts it is your duty to kill and eat any spiders you come across. You are allowed outside, and anywhere within the castle, accept for the kitchens. Do not go into the forbidden forest, and sleep here in Ravenclaw, got it?" Vanessa told her cat, not really expecting it to understand, but instead the little cat purred and rubbed against her sleeve, then pounced off of the bed and across to the doorway with her tail held straight up like a question mark.

Vanessa laughed then cast a tempus charm, it told her that it was seven in the morning. Breakfast was served by seven thirty and classes started at eight, though she had none.

Casting another spell, her hair disentangled itself, and she was left with bouncing strawberry blond waves. She dressed in the standard white button up bouse and black skirt and socks, but had neglected to pull on her sweater vest, and instead just pulled on her black cape. The prefect badge stood out a ittle more than she wanted it to so she charmed it so it looked a bit darker. She left her black ballet shoes sitting next to her bed.

After going through her bathroom routine she stepped out into the main hall, only to realize that no noise was coming from any of the other year's dorms. _They're going to be late..._ Normally Vanessa was fine with this, but she enjoyed waking others up, because it irritated them. She proceeded to the fifth year dormitories, and used a spell to open all of the individual dorm doors.

"ITS SEVEN FIFTEEN! TIME TO WAKE UP!" Vanessa's words came out in a ringing sing song voice that echoed once. She heard sluggish movements and knew that they were slowy but surely getting up for classes. _Which I don't have today! _Vanessa thought happily.

She proceeded to each of the following dorms and repeated the procedure until she came to the first year hall. After opening all the doors she sang out

"ITS SEVEN FIFTEEN! TIME TO WAKE UP!" Suddenly Vanessa remembered that she hadn't told them when breakfast was or when classes started, and slapped her hand to her face. First years didn't know. This time she used a carrying charm, which was designed to carry her voice at the same volume to wherever she directed it.

"Everyone, I've forgotten to tell you, but breakfast is at seven thirty and classes start at eight." She watched the spell duplicate and separate before going into the seven different dorms and repeating them in the center of each room as if she was standing there.

The scurry of movement was unbelievable. All at once, the first years, slammed out of their bedrooms and rushed down towards the bathroom while bumping into walls. Vanessa turned and began to hum as she walked out onto the second level. She walked in the circle while skimming her fingers over the railing that looked over the common room, finally she stopped at a portrait of a young falsely harmless blue eyed witch leaning against a tall evil looking gate. A young Ravenclaw meandered behind Vanessa, curious as to what she was doing.

"Would you mind letting me through to the entrance hall?"

"Depends on whether you have the sacrifice." Vanessa grinned in amusement, this portrait was somewhat sadistic. She turned and grabbed the first year behind her who squeaked in surprise.

"Will he do?"

"Of course." Upon saying this the witch began laughing horribly and the portrait eased open revealing pitch black nothingness. The boy was past terrified now. Vanessa smiled pleasantly at him.

"Don't worry, she just likes to freak people out. This slide leads to the entrance hall. If you're going there you can come with me." Vanessa explained, the boy immediately relaxed in Vanessa's arms then tugged away blushing.

"Sure, I'd like to go eat breakfast." He said before adding, "My name's Connor Tursley."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Vanessa. Follow after me and you'll be fine." Vanessa wrapped her cloak more securely around herself and slid into the passage. It winded and twisted downwards faster than she remembered and she couldn't help but laugh in surprise. Suddenly it evened out and she slowed down and dropped from behind a hanging rug located in a corridor to the left of the great hall. She snuck out from behind it and realized Draco had just passed right before she had appeared. With a devious smile she stalked up behind him silently, but at that moment Connor slid out from behind the tapestry with a dull clunk. Draco spun around and thinking quickly, Vanessa yelled something indistinguishable, but on the same lines as 'boo'.

Draco fell flat on his arse in surprise. Before she could help herself, Vanessa was laughing so hard she was afraid she'd fall over. She leaned against the wall to steady herself, until her laugh attack ended and she opened her eyes. Draco's furious face wasn't an inch from her own as he pinned her to the wall. Out of the corner of her eye she watched Connor run down the corridor towards the great hall.

"You evil witch!" Draco sneered, but amusement glimmered in his eyes. Vanessa grinned. Draco finally broke and he laughed, "How did you sneak up on me like that?"

Vanessa twirled out of his grasp easily and curtsied, "Magic..." she smiled before pivoting and sprinting after Connor.

Draco watched her dart through the corridor like she was flying and wondered if she had cast a speed charm on her shoes before realizing that she wasn't wearing any shoes. He smiled.

-----

A/N: Hola. Tell me what you thought was creative and what you thought was orthodox, and if you don't review I'll tear out all of your plumbing and redirect it so that everything ends up in your dresser. Mua ha!

-SM


	4. Chapter 4

Vanessa caught up to Connor to find that he was panting for air, whereas she wasn't even winded. _ I guess I just have longer legs._

"Connor are you okay?" He jumped in surprise and looked her over.

"He didn't do anything to you?" He asked her

"Of course not. All the Slytherins I know aren't as bad as they seem." She answered

He looked at her like she was crazy. "Slytherins are dark wizards!"

"My sister is a Slytherin. I grew up with half the people in Slytherin. Actually, its almost a tradition in my family to be placed in Slytherin. Am I that bad?" She reasoned

He stared at her for a few moments before carefully saying, "Its your choice to befriend them, but I won't associate with them." _He sounds like he's just repeating something he's heard._

"Your parent's opinions aren't important. You need to use your own experiences with Slytherins to define them for yourself."

For a moment he looked doubtful, but then his expression cleared.

"Alright."

"Come on I'm starving!" Vanessa announced before grabbing the first year's hand and dragging him into the great hall. He blushed.

She sat down with a bunch of the other first years, with her older friends across from her. Connor smiled as he dug into a plate of eggs and bacon and began a conversation with the girl next to him, who turned out to be Heather. Lea was a few seats away conversing with her new dormmates. _How I love people watching-_ Suddenly her eyes were covered with a pair of hands.-_it doesn't work so well this way._

"Okay, ha ha." Vanessa tried to frown, but ended up smiling. "Who is it?"

"Guess." Vanessa rolled her eyes. It was obvious now that he had spoken. The brassy voice with the slight scent of grass that covered his hands belonged to the quidditch captain,

"Roger Davis." His hands fell from her eyes and she tilted her head back to look at him, smiling like always. He looked astonished.

"How did you know?" He looked slightly put out

"Your voice, and you smell like grass." She replied. At this he smirked.

"You smelled me?" he asked, and she rolled her eyes.

"What do you want Roger?" She sounded annoyed, so he cut the teasing.

"I heard from some of the guys that you were thinking about trying out for seeker." she nodded, "We've decided to hold try outs at four, after all the students have finished their classes. Mcgonagal's gonna announce it right about now, but I htought you might want to hear it from me personally." He grinned down at her.

"Thanks Roger." she said sarcastically before looking up as the Headmistress addressed the school.

"As you have already heard from your house prefects, sixth and seventh years will not have classes today. In addition to that, Ravenclaw will be holding Seeker try outs at four o-clock for anyone who's interested. Have a good first day of classes all of you." At this, the older witch waved her wand and schedules appeared in front of each student.

-----

"Vanessa?"

She looked down to find Connor, Heather and a few other students gazing questioningly at her.

"Where is the Charms classroom?" they asked. Vanessa sighed, the charms classroom was one of the hardest to get to due to it being smack dab in the middle of all the moving staircases.

"It'll be easier just to show you, since the way changes every day." The first years looked very relieved, and followed her happily, chattering away with new friends. She led them through the entrance hall and straight through to the shifting stairs. The kids stared in awe, many hadn't seen much of the castle yet.

After leading them safely to charms, Vanessa waved to Professor Flitwick, who beamed at her, and headed back to Ravenclaw.

_Better to practice a little bit before try outs._

After locating her broom, that had somehow found its way underneath her bed, she ran back through the second level and pushed open the french doors. The breeze outside was fresh and fluttered the bronze curtains as she stepped out. Vanessa was careful to hide her broom, because flying off the terrace wasn't strictly allowed. She stepped onto the railing, and readied herself to free fall before taking out her broom and gliding, but was interrupted.

"Vanessa! What are you doing?!" Terry Boot asked her in a high pitch voice. Stunned, Vanessa turned too quickly and lost her balance, slowly falling backward into the thin air. Terry's face expressed his horror and he rushed forward to grab her but was too late. Mandy and Roger looked over to see a whisp of her black cape disappear.

"VANESSA!" She watched idly, as he stuck his head over the banister. She smiled at him and pulled her broom out from her cloak. By this time, Roger and Mandy had sprinted over and watched as she flipped backward in the air and finally managed to pull her broom between her legs. She was now hurdling towards the earth at an alarming speed, but managed to pull out of the dive just before her fingers touched the ground. She laughed, and twirled upright in the air before zooming back to the veranda.

She slid off her broom and her bare feet clicked against the stone, before she was lifted up and hugged by Terry who was shaking.

"I-I thought you were commiting suicide!" She pulled back to look into his eyes, and could almost feel his shock. Mandy hugged her and Roger looked at her like she was a different person.

"That was amazing!" Roger blurted out and Terry hit him.

"She almost died!" Terry reprimanded

"That dive though, did you see her? She was straight to the ground, and managed a ninety degree turn in a couple feet-"

"I don't care! She almost died, and I couldn't stop her-"

"Terry, I'm fine." Both guys looked at her, and Mandy excused herself.

"I'm so glad you're trying out for seeker. That was just, wow. Terry, didn't you see?" Roger started

"Yeah, it was pretty cool." they both smirked, then turned toward her, which made them look very evil indeed, so Vanessa managed a hasty good bye and hopped back on her broom.

-----

Vanessa flew around the castle a few times before leveling out about two feet from the ground in an empty meadow near the quidditch pitch. Trees and shrubs grew randomly all around her, so she resolved to go as fast as possible while dodging through them. She got bored of this very quickly, and resolved to buy a snitch the next Hogsmeade weekend.

Vanessa drifted back to the castle riding her broom sideways. _The gardens turned out nicely this year. _

She reached the great hall in time for lunch, where everyone bugged her about her supposed attempt at her own life, or congratulated her from the great dive they had heard she had pulled off. Either way, she had eaten her food and was out of her room before anyone could blink.

Feeling hopelessly bored, she made her way to the library, and checked out a book on dragon dissection and stuck her nose in it while aimlessly wandering the corridors. Before she knew it she had gotten herself hoplessly lost and swore she had been down the same hall at least three times now. She backtracked a few steps before finding a door she hadn't noticed beforehand, and stepped inside.

It was a broom closet. A few more turns and she found herself looking at a very familiar portrait. A young man with a dark blue beret sitting atop messy brown hair stared at her closely before beckoning her closer.

"Are you lost?" Vanessa rolled her eyes.

"Sadly yes, and I've seen your portrait before but still have no idea where I am."

"Well, you're in luck! Nobody's found me in ages! My portrait switches itself around the castle along with the passage inside. My twin has his own portrait that connects to mine. I'm not sure where he is, but you might know where you are once you're there." At that, the portrait swung inward and he wished her good luck as she climbed inside. She had barely gone two steps when she reached a wall. _Gee, well isn't this pleasant._ She pushed against it for a moment before realizing it wasn't solid. She materialized through and sure enough, she was now in the Transfiguration wing.

"How did you do that?" Vanessa spun around to find Mandy and Lisa gaping at her.

"Magic. Do you know what time it is?" Vanessa asked

"Thats why we were trying to find you, its almost four, and the try outs are about to start." Lisa explained, and then gestured to her broom. Vanessa looked down to realize that both of her friends were carrying their own brooms and looked as though they were just about ready to head out to the pitch.

_Accio broom!_ Vanessa thought while flicking her wrist. Instead of summoning, the broom simply appeared in her hand. _Deja vu..._ Her friends looked at her strangely before grabbing her and proceeding down the hallway.

They flew out of a window, which Mandy had banged her head on pretty badly, and raced off to the pitch.

-----

"Just in time Vanessa!" Roger waved her over, and she flew over to him, slid off her broom and silently landed on the grass.

"Right, welcome to Ravenclaw Seeker try outs!!" Roger addressed the twelve odd students and began to explain what being a seeker meant, and what its responsibilities were. He clarified that Ravenclaw held morning practices every day but Sunday and Monday, and that they would have a total of seven games throughout the season.

"Now, I'm going to release three snitches. In order to proceed to the next level of try outs, you need to capture one." Twelve people mounted their brooms and Roger threw the snitches out into the pitch where they vanished.

Vanessa skimmed over the field with eagle eyes, hoping to spot one, when a terrible scream reached her ears. Mandy was falling through the air. Without thinking about what she was doing, Vanessa leaned forward and twisted through the air to aim her wand at her friend.

"Despacio!" the reaction was immediate, Mandy's freefall slowed dramatically and looked as if she was going in slow motion. A few more seconds passed, and Marcus, one of the beaters caught her easily. Something flickered in her peripheral vision and Vanessa turned to find herself face to face with a snitch. It sped off before she could comprehend, and she followed, pressed flat to her broom. Fingers closed around the snitch, and she glanced up to see one of the stands not fifteen feet from where she was speeding along. She flipped her broom, and spun downwards through the air in order to miss and pulled out of her sudden dive just in time to miss crashing into the ground.

_God I'm glad I don't have to think about what I'm doing._

Cheering met her ears, and she flew lazily back to the group of Ravenclaws. Mandy was out of the running, along with two other girls who giggled and admitted that they had never tried riding a broom before. Three other boys were first years, who said that they only came to watch in the first place, but she could see the disappointment in their eyes.

Lisa hadn't managed to catch a snitch, and two fourth year girls also weren't fast enough to compete with the older students. This left her, and two boys. One was named Luke, he was lean with the form of a good Seeker, whereas the other was his opposite. He was big and muscled, and had probably used this to his advantage, she didn't know what his name was.

"This time, I'm only going to release one snitch. The one who catches it will be named the new ravenclaw seeker." He threw the snitch outward, and Vanessa was on her broom and after it before anyone could blink. She could feel a difference in the air, and new that someone was tailing her, but as she looked backward, she lost sight of the snitch and it disappeared. She decided to play it like she was still after it. The bigger guy was behind her, so she turned sharply toward the ground, and pulled out of the dive easily. The other student however, did not. The group of Ravenclaws all inhaled sharply as the boy collided with the ground. _That must have been painful._ Vanessa laughed, he should have known what he was getting into. Both of her parents were Slytherins after all. Without remorse, Vanessa sped back up near the stands and looked over the field while Luke was still distracted, staring at the other boy. This time it was Vanessa's turn to inhale, the snitch was hovering near the boys ankle...

Air whistled in her ears as she flattened herself once more to the handle of her broom. The poor fifth year looked up and screamed, thinking that she was trying to attack him, but instead she loosened her grip and spun upside down on her broom and twisted underneath him. Before he could move she had snatched the snitch from underneath him, and turned rightside up.

"Better luck next time." She said, giving him an impish grin, before zooming back down towards Roger, her heart in her throat, as the snitch beat its wings uslessly against her fingers.

"That was a bit bloodier than I had imagined." Roger looked stunned.

"It wasn't cheating." Vanessa sung back to him as she grabbed his hand and carefully closed his fingers around the ball, making sure it didn't get away.

"Vanessa Greengrass is the new Ravenclaw Seeker!" He shouted to the group and they whooped cheerfully. After her performance, they were estatic that they had managed to get such a fresh new quidditch player.

"Just to let you know," she leaned towards Roger, "That's the first time I've ever played quidditch." His eyes widened comically, and she laughed before looking around to find her friends.

"Oh, I think Mandy and Liss took Ed to the hospital wing. Both his legs are broken, and his wrist. Madam Pomfrey should be done with him in less than an hour though. You gave him quite a beating." Roger said to her.

"I didn't touch him!" Vanessa protested.

-----

A/N: Bonjour. Tell me what you thought was well-written, and what you thought was done so poorly you had the urge to give up french fries, and if you don't review, I'll show up at your house in the dead of night and cover everything with crest whitening tooth paste. twitter

-SM


	5. Chapter 5

Vanessa was gliding back to the castle alone, sitting sideways on her broom as she contemplated classes the next day.

"Oi! Vanessa!"

Once again, she turned too sharply and lost her grip on the broom.

Her legs flew from under her and she landed on her back with her broom hovering an embarrasing two feet above her. She heard laughter and tilted her head back to see her sister and a few slytherins hanging out by the lake.

Scowling, she jumped up and didn't bother to brush off the grass that had attached itself to her sides. She swung her leg over her broom and took off towards her sister with fire in her eyes.

Daphne stopped laughing to glance up just as Vanessa tackled her. They fell in to a hysterical heap and wrestled eachother until they couldn't breath. Vanessa looked up to see Draco, Blaise, and Pansy watching them with interest.

"So, this is your sister?" Pansy asked and after receiving a nod she continued, "She's not as ugly as you made her out to be. A bit clumsy, but with a little care she could be pretty."

Vanessa glared at her while slapping her sister's shoulder.

"Don't take it personally 'Nessa, thats the best compliment I've ever heard from her." Daphne stood up and brushed herself off before walking back over to Blaise where they continued a conversation. Draco stepped forward and helped Vanessa off the ground while simultaneously dusting her off. She felt her face go red.

"So, you've gotten worse from the last time I've seen you fly-"

"Push off Malfoy." He grinned in amusement, and she smirked back at him, "I'm better than you were against Potter last year." His grin was replaced with a glare.

"At least I'm on a quidditch team."

"Oh such a big accomplishment. So am I." Vanessa countered.

"You are not. They aren't having try outs until," Draco cast the tempus charm and blinked in surprise, "You're the seeker?" Vanessa rolled her eyes.

"Better start practicing Draco, Vanessa's evil when in the air." Daphne added.

"I am not!"

"What happened at try outs?" Daphne asked. Vanessa looked sheepish.

"Well, umm, I performed a wronski feint, and well..." Vanessa looked umcomfortable

"Vanessa..." Daphne pressed her to continue with a threatening voice

"Hesinthehospitalwithtwobrokenlegsandabrokenwrist."

"What?" Draco and Daphne asked at once.

"I broke both of his legs, and umm, his wrist." At this point Roger Davis had flown over to them after working his way back to the school. He heard this sentence and joined right in.

"Yeah, she was brutal. Pulverized the one, and scared the shit out of a fifth year when she twisted two inches underneath him in order to catch the snitch. Even her best friend fell off a broom." Roger hooked his arm around Vanessa's waist. "I'm glad to have her on the team."

Draco's face turned expressionless.

"I told you. She's evil when she's given a broom." Daphne said. Roger nodded and steered Vanessa back to the castle. She broke out of his grip and ran back to get her broom, hugged both her sister and Draco, then raced to catch up with Roger.

-----

"She broke three of his bones?" Draco asked aloud, still watching Vanessa stroll back to the castle.

"You know, I think she should have been in Slytherin." Daphne mentioned to Blaise as her sister raced back to the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain.

"Yes, but Slytherins are more self gain, she's more," Blaise paused to think, "she's more for gaining things herself, so that other people can't have them."

Daphne giggled before repeating what she had said earlier, "She's evil when she feels like it." Then her expression darkened, and she visibly shivered. Draco glanced over to her, then leaned back against the tree, thinking.

-----

"So Vanessa, dinners probably ready. Wanna go eat?" Roger seemed nonchalant but looked at her out of the corner of his eye, waiting for her to answer.

"Sure. Quidditch takes more out of you than I thought it would, I'm starved."

They carefully entered the great hall and made their way through the hordes of first years that seemed to have multiplied since the last time they had seen them. After reaching the table, they sat down side by side near the inseperable trio, Anthony Michael and Terry. All three jumped up and congratulated her at once before breaking down her catching the snitch play by play.

Roger sulked a bit before picking up the conversation and soon the four were debating with such gusto that they didn't notice when Vanessa finished eating, excused herself and went up to the hospital wing to try and find her friends.

She had hardly made it up the second staircase when something pounced from around the corner and ran at her with such vigor, that Vanessa couldn't make out what the thing was. The speed in which it traveled blurred its appearance so much that Vanessa thought it was a dusty old grey rag before it curled around her legs and looked up at her with a meow.

"Mau you maniac, you nearly gave me a hard attack." she was answered with a purr. Then Vanessa noticed something very unpleasant. Several black spider legs were sticking out of the cats mouth and clinging to his whiskers. She immediately stopped petting him and stepped away with a shiriek.

"Mau! You do not have to eat every spider in the castle!" Mau looked up at her curiously, "just eat the ones that you might find in my dorm room! Disgusting filthy..." Mau looked down at the ground in apology.

"Sterilio." Vanessa pointed her wand at the messy cat and the leftover spider disappeared and the cats fur brushed itself clean and made it glow. She picked him up and headed back to the common room, forgetting entirely about going to the hospital wing to begin with.

"_The ocean is to land as air is to?"_

"The sky." Vanessa stepped inside and her cat followed. Ravenclaws littered the common room and lounged around on pillows while discussing homework and browsing the bookcases. A few first years looked up as she entered and waved enthusiastically at her, beckooning her to come closer.

"You made the quidditch team?" Little faces looked up at her and waited for her to answer. They had obviously been arguing about it a few seconds before.

"Yes, I'm the seeker now." the boys looked impressed while the girls squealed and dragged her up to the dormitories and into the first year corridor. After arranging the floor pillows in a circle, they sat her down and began to talk animatedly about how the quidditch team was doing and who was on it, and the future matches. Vanessa was a bit surprised at how interested all of the girls were. It was normally the boys who took such an avid interest in the sport. Vanessa charmed a few mugs full of hot chocolate before sitting back and listening.

-----

"So how was try outs? Stacy says that she was there and that you killed a guy." All chatter stopped instantly and heads whipped around to listen closely. Vanessa laughed.

"I didn't kill him-"

"He only has two fractures in one leg, a clean break in the other, a concussion, and a broken wrist." Mandy and Lisa entered the room and settled themselves between a few of the girls. "You beat him pretty bad." Lisa added

The volume of the room rose several notches and Vanessa leaned closer to talk to her friends, first year chat was a little boring.

"How did you know I was kidnapped?" Vanessa asked them then added as an after thought, "And how is Ed?"

"Eh, you know. Pomfrey had him up and going within a few moments, but decided to keep him overnight. Doesn't she always?" Lisa nodded in agreement. Their conversation continued until they were interupted by the first years, who addressed Mandy.

"Are you going out with Anthony Goldstein?" Vanessa's jaw dropped.

"Of course she isn't, where did you get that idea?" Mandy asked the girl.

"You're both prefects, both on the quidditch team, both purebloods, and you hang out alot. It just seemed to fit." The girl shrugged.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Heather Finnigan asked her curiously. Vanessa flushed.

"no..."

"Do you have a crush?" Another girl piped up. Vanessa thought for a moment. The trio of boys she hung out with were just friends really, and Roger was just her friend. She knew several boys in Slytherin due to ties between pureblood families, but none really stood out. Vanessa blinked. A particular blond with steel eyes and a menacing smirk flashed into her vision, and her hands tingled.

_Draco? He can't be a crush he's more like my equal. We're competitors. _ Vanessa was still thinking to her self as the others whispered to eachother.

"She has someone." Stacy looked awed. "She's taken too long to answer which means-"

"You like someone?" Mandy looked at her with wide eyes. "You like someone and you didn't tell me?"

"I-" She was forcefully pulled from where she was sitting by her friends who had grabbed her by her elbows.

"Sorry to cut this meeting short, but we need to have a personal conversation. Good night." Mandy said before rushing from the room. Vanessa was still dazed when her friends plopped her down on a bed in their own dormitory.

"Tell us!" Mandy and Lisa both stuck their heads close to Vanessa's face still waiting for an asnwer from the strawberry blonde.

"I really don't think this is necessary, its not even a real crush-" Vanessa tried to get up but they sat her back down.

"Just tell us who it is. Or," Mandy looked around the dorm, locked the door with her wand and summoned a clear bottle to her hand, "We'll use veritaserum."

"You wouldn't! I'm your friend!"

"Exactly, so you can tell us. Besides for as long as we've known you, boys have been flirting with you nonstop. You haven't taken interest in anyone yet." Lisa argued

"Boys don't flirt with me!"

"Excuse me?" Mandy rolled her eyes, "What about Roger? Anthony? Terry goes pink when you're near him, and I've even seen Draco eye you when you talk with him."

Vanessa blanked. _Draco? He likes me?_ She looked up to see her friends whisper to eachother.

"you hold her down, and I'l pour it down her throat-"

"Guys! That is not necessary." They both looked at her expectantly. "You're sworn to secrecy." They nodded, "We will not talk about it." They nodded again, "You will not try anything." They just sat there. So she glared at them until they shrugged. "Alright, I think Draco's kind of-"

"DRACO?!" Both looked at her like she had lost her mind.

"Sure he's hot, but seriously 'Nessa-"

"he's a Slytherin-"

"you're a ravenlaw-"

"His family are a bunch of deatheaters!"

"they'd use you for their evil dark art-"

"You're making it out like I'm going to marry him or something, I told you its barely a crush." Vanessa flailed her arms.

"But a crush for you, is like... Big time." both girls agreed.

"And as for him being a Slytherin," Vanessa glared at them, and they seemingly shrunk, "The sorting hat practically let me choose between the houses because he said that it made all the difference."

They stared at her. Mandy poked her.

"So you're practically a Slytherin." It wasn't a question.

----

A/N: Konichiwa. Tell me what made you laugh so hard your nose hair spontaneously combusted and tell me what made you want to cry and hide because of the horrible crappy writing(this is my first Harry Potter Fic...), and if you don't review, I'll tear up all the grass in your lawn, stuff it into your school locker, and then hint to the principal that I heard you were dealing grass. Shmtick

-SM


	6. Chapter 6

Vanessa woke up in the middle of the night to the full moon beaming through her window and onto her pillow. Sighing she fumbled for her wand before closing the curtains and slipping her silk robe over her shoulders. She might as well make a few rounds in Ravenclaw for her prefect duties.

She snuck down passed the numbered doors and out onto the second floor before leaning over the banister to find no one in the common room below. She smiled and climbed onto the railing and slid down the spiral staircase. At the end, she lost her balance and fell into someone's arms.

"What are you doing?" Anthony looked at her quizzically as she waited for the room to stop spinning.

"Well, I'm," She paused, thinking, "I'm patrolling the hall." Vanessa finished, finally her dizziness wore off and she looked at him properly. He was wearing an extra large shirt and fuzzy pajama pants with broomsticks. She laughed.

"I like your pants."

Anthony turned red and mumbled something incoherent. Vanessa remembered what the first years had told her earlier and also turned red. Both looked at the other and after a moment, they laughed at their embarrassment.

"So its the full moon. You're not down here because you're a werewolf are you?" Vanessa asked him.

"Duh!" He answered sarcastically, "Why are you really down here?"

"Well, I find it most rewarding to feed on the full moon. Blood tastes so much better then." Vanessa said in all seriousness and Anthony looked shocked for a second.

"Well, I'd better be getting back to bed. Have fun sucking people's blood." he hugged her goodnight and then headed off towards the boys spiral staircase. Vanessa leaned her head against the wall between the fireplace and the staircase.

"I will." she laughed evilly before noticing a shadow sunk down in the pillows to her left. From the outline, she could tell that it was the first year boy she had talked to before. "Conner, what are you doing down here?"

The boy gasped in surprise and leaped up.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!! I couldn't go to sleep so I sat down here, and please please don't eat me!" He looked up at her with wide eyes, his stance was ready to flee. Somehow Ravenclaws were very intelligent, but a few of them lacked the ability to comprehend sarcasm.

"Conner. I'm not a vampire I was just joking."

"Oh thank god." he looked very relieved and hugged her. "So you're seeker on the quidditch team, I can't wait for the next-" he interrupted himself with a yawn, and rubbed his eyes.

"Maybe you should get to bed." she smiled, and he scampered up the stairs to his dorm. She sighed. _Why does life have to be so boring?_ Vanessa got to thinking. Which wasn't normally a good thing. If Daphne had seen the look on her face she would have locked her door and placed protective spells on anything within her reach. No. When Vanessa was bored, bad things tended to happen.

-----

After gathering the essentials, her broom, a lucky amulet which was a family heirloom, and a few explosive potions, she prowled along the second floor before reaching the familiar portrait. The blued eyed witch looked at her questioningly while leaning against the barbed gate she guarded.

Then the portrait smirked, realizing that it was just Vanessa, out for another night of, 'fun'. The frame opened silently and Vanessa covered her face with her hood once more before she slid down into the glazed tunnel.

After reaching the bottom she slinked forward from the slide and creeped along the walls like a shadow. _Where should I attack?_ She let her feet lead her, gliding over the tiled brick of the entrance hall before entering the great hall. _Perfect._ She swung her legs over her broom and took off like a bat. With a twitch of her wand, the Griffindor banner crinkled and the roaring lion shrunk into a fearful kitten, a curly mustache drew itself on the Hufflepuff badger, and Vanessa thought for a moment before transfiguring the Ravenclaw banner into a large pair of knickers hanging from the ceiling. _This way, Slytherin is blamed._ She shook her blonde hair back and laughed.

"What are you doing?" Draco Malfoy stood a few feet away from the archway into the great hall.

With a smirk, she answered.

"Oh, just vandalizing the castle. Aren't you supposed to be in bed?" She swooped down towards him and landed a few feet in front of him.

"I'm headboy, and I'm doing rounds. You shouldn't be out of bed."

"I'm a prefect."

"You're vandalizing the castle. I should report you."

"Then, I'll have to black mail you." Vanessa smiled evilly.

"You have nothing on me. Nobody does." Draco smirked proudly.

"When you were five you stepped on a frog near the pond and ended up shrieking like a little girl. When you were eight 'someone' pushed you off of your broom and you landed in a pile of mud. When you were eleven, you cried to your mommy because Harry Potter didn't like you-"

"Okay okay! I wasn't gonna tell anyway."

"Neither was I." They laughed, and then became earily silent. Footsteps were approaching the great hall.

"Aren't you cold?" Draco asked her. Her eyes widened, _Yes, I'm only wearing my pajamas, are you daft? Doesn't he hear the footsteps?!_ Suddenly he pulled her to the side and stamped on a statue of armor's foot, it howled in pain before sinking into the floor. Draco pulled her downward and closed the top right when someone entered the great hall.

"Ha. You're lucky I was there." He smirked and she rolled her eyes. They were standing on a vertical ladder within a closed tunnel going straight down. Both were standing on the same rung, and weren't even inches apart. They looked away from eachother.

"So where does this passage lead?"

"The Dungeons."

-----

Vanessa followed Draco down the ladder, hesitant to go back into the great hall now that there was someone in there. Finally they reached the bottom and Vanessa realized why he asked her if she was cold. Down here it was freezing. Without thinking about it, she flicked her wand and her clothes transformed, she was now wearing her tailored black jeans and high class v-neck black silk blouse, adorned with lovely skulls.

"You should have been in Slytherin." Draco said after looking at her new clothes. _ Too many people have said that to me lately._ She just nodded.

"Well Slytherin's having a party at the moment." Draco started off down the hall and then said over his shoulder, "You can come if you like." she smirked and took off after him.

"Am I allowed?"

"That's a stupid question. 'Prefects are allowed anywhere in the castle at any time.' That includes the Slytherin common room." Draco sneered at her. She rolled her eyes. "Besides, its the first day back."

"Not like that has anything to do with anything." she commented.

"Slytherin brings friends from other houses down into the dungeons for parties. Its really common anyway. I'm surprised your sister hasn't brought you before this. I'm glad I found you in time."

"You were planning to bring me here?" Vanessa raised her eyebrows and stopped walking. He grinned at her. For a second, Vanessa heard a faint scratching sound, but passed it off for a mouse.

"I know you well enough that I knew you wouldn't be able to sleep. And from what your sister has said about you, you're the type that would mess up the great hall when bored." Draco had a triumphant smile on his face, and Vanessa scowled at him. "Hag."

Her mouth dropped. _He did not just call me-_

"Relax, its the retarded password," Draco explained before pulling her through a recently solid wall.

Draco's smile widened when the chattering grew louder as everyone turned to look at them as they morphed through. The crowd swayed to the beat of fast paced magical music that seemed to emanate through the walls. Draco still had Vanessa's arm hooked through his own. She didn't seem to notice. But Draco knew that everyone else did.

"Blaise and Theo were working at getting some drinks from the kitchen when I left, so there's probably something around somewhere. Otherwise, get to know some of Slytherin." He winked at her.

"Not that I don't know all of them already..." These were the pureblood kids she had to wait with through dinner parties etc while she was growing up. Of course she knew them. _I'm one of them._

Vanessa slipped out of Draco's arm and headed toward her sister who was laughing with a bunch of other Slytherin girls. With a twitch of her wand Daphne's drink tipped to the side and spilt all over her shirt. The girls around her started laughing again.

"Gah! Who the hell-?!" Daphne spun around to see her sister trying to keep a straight face. "Vanessa you evil scheming witch!" Her expression softened before she cleaned off her shirt with her wand and asked her sister curiously, "How did you get here?"

"Draco." Daphne exchanged a look with someone across from her, "Why have I never been invited before now Daphne?" Vanessa said sarcastically

"Only sixth years and up are allowed to participate anyway." Daphne explained with a wave of her hand.

"And why-"

"Would you like some firewhiskey?" Theodore Nott was suddenly draped over her shoulders holding the drink in front of her with a tan hand. _Oh. At least they're a bit responsible..._

"Nah, I'll pass. I've never been a fan of the stuff." Theo just took it in stride.

"Then why don't we dance?" The glass in his hand disappeared and he held out his hand. She took it easily and they spun around once before hitting the dance floor. This time Theo flicked his wand and her clothes morphed for the second time that night. She was now wearing a flowy black halter top dress. The dress felt like it was made of air, and spun around her as such, while still fitting her perfectly.

Light brown hair framed Theo's mature face and strong arms twirled her around in a modern tango. All at once everyone on the dance floor switched partners simultaneously.

Vanessa laughed, this pureblood twist on the traditional tango was something she had done before. It barely resembled a tango at all, instead it was something altogether different. Once again, the partners switched, and this time she was dancing with a tall seventh year with a bright grin. All of the girls twirled around at once, and as Vanessa did so she noticed Draco stepping onto the dance floor.

With another spin she fell into step with her next partner. She laughed in surprise when she noticed that it was Blaise.

"Don't get too close Zabini, my sister might be watching." He laughed and winked at her before spinning her around, just as the song changed into a classical waltz with a hip-hop under beat. Pairs quickly found eachother and stepped into rhythm with the soft but fast beat. Vanessa felt arms around her waist and was once again spun around. Dizzness caught up to her and she fell gracefully into someone's warm arms.

Draco smiled down at her. For a second, their eyes flashed dazzlingly as they stared at one another. Then they recovered quickly. Both stepped closer to one another, Vanessa finally regained her balance, and both began the fluid waltz.

Everyone in the room was dancing. Swishes of expensive fabric twirled about, perfectly in tune with the music, and each couple performed the dance perfectly. The atmosphere was relaxed and sophisticated, one could really appreciate the pureblood culture in a setting such as the one in the Slytherin Common room. For a second, Vanessa felt remorse at picking Ravenclaw. While the room danced, the underbeat slowly picked up until hip-hop drowned out the waltz and a funny circumstance splayed out.

At once, hip hop moves were incorporated into the dance steps, while on top, it seemed as thought the entire Slytherin common was dancing a complicated waltz to a modern hip hop song. (god I love that image)

-----

A/N: Ciao. Tell me what gave you rug burn and what blew your frilly panties off, and if you don't review I'll tape you to the floor of a day care center on finger paint day. Bukaw!

-SM


	7. Chapter 7

"Come on Lisa! Get out of bed!" Mandy ripped the sheets out from underneath her friend and Lisa sat up in anger.

"What the hell?! What's possessed you? Its one a.m.!"

"Exactly Lisa, Exactly!! Listen, earlier I heard Vanessa get up, and I followed her." Mandy looked over excited, and Lisa's eyes widened. Nobody could follow Vanessa, it was impossible. Everyone had tried at one point or another, but nobody had succeeded.

"Listen, she went to the great hall, doing her usual no doubt, when a prefect walked in!" Lisa gasped, but Mandy went on, "But it was just Draco. They talked for a second, then I decided to join them, but by the time I got in there, they were gone!"

"You mean to say, Draco and Vanessa are together, at one in the morning?"

"No, no. You see, I used the portrait outside of the great hall to the dungeons. I caught up with them, just as they were entering the Slytherin common room together."

Lisa gaped. Mandy grinned. Lisa's eyes widened. Mandy's grin stretched.

"I heard the password."

Both girls were dressed and out of the common room before either could say a thing.

-----

"Should we?" Lisa looked doubtful now that they were just outside the Slytherin wall.

"Of course we should!" Mandy exclaimed before adding, "Hag."

Lisa's mouth dropped open

"How dare-"

Mandy grabbed her by the elbow and dragged her through the wall.

They were greeted by all of the sixth and seventh year Slytherins keeping up a fast paced modern waltz, to hip hop music. Lisa fell back against the now resolid wall. Mandy's eyes sought out her friend and her mouth dropped for the umpteenth time that day.

Draco and Vanessa were the stars. They twirled around effortlessly and stood out so dramatically from the rest of the dancing Slytherins that they were given a wide circle of berth. More than one of the couples had their attention solely on the pair.

"Oh, my, god." Mandy said quietly while Lisa still looked speechless. Mandy pulled her to the side of one of the fireplaces where they could stay in the shadows without being noticed.

"Lisa, do you know what this means?" Lisa shook her head she was still shocked. "This means that Vanessa has been keeping Draco a secret from us! You see, we found them in the same compartment in the train, sitting really close together, we should have guessed it then, but really Draco's been her secret boyfriend!! I wonder why she wouldn't tell us anything about it."

Lisa finally found her voice.

"Think about it Mandy, if any of the Ravenclaws knew that she was dating a Slytherin..."

"You're right!! Whereas the Slytherins accept it already because she already like them!"

"And she's pureblood, they're both seekers, he's the headboy, she's a prefect..."

"She's like Ravenclaw's most eligible bachelorette-"

"And he's the Slytherin prince!!"

Both girls looked at eachother in awe while everything clicked itself in their minds.

-----

He twirled her about once more and pulled her close, loving the way they danced so seeminglessly together. Once again they picked up the rhythm and stepped into the waltz once more, he laughed while she smiled and they spun closer together.

Unconsciously Draco tilted his head subtly and reveled in the feel of her soft hair against his face. His eyes widened, she smelled like the sweet wind that brushed past his face while flying over the lavender meadows in his manor's grounds.

Draco twitched his wand again, he was the one controlling the music at the moment. The song melted into a slow jazz number. A reason to hold her close to breath near her hair. The hand that was at her elbow for the waltz now dropped to her waist and he twined his other arm around her back. She slid her hands around his neck and his head dropped closer to her shoulder.

-----

She could feel his soft spearmint breath against her neck and dazedly let him lead in a simple slow dance. Lean arms held her close and her arms fell perfectly around his neck.

She closed her eyes.

His scent was refreshingly earthy with a taste of salt. It reminded her of the ocean on a stormy day. Without thinking she shifted her face closer to his neck while he did the same.

Suddenly she remembered who this was, and it seemed as though Draco had as well. Both stiffened for a moment and then relaxed, they were friends anyway, so no one would take much notice of it. She felt him grin into her shoulder.

-----

For a moment Draco was afraid that Vanessa would pull away after they had both tensed for a moment, and he sighed in relief as Vanessa once again let him lead her in the dance. _This is nice._ He grinned.

-----

Mandy and Lisa watched from the sidelines. There was no doubt about it now. They had watched the couple shift closer together, and had not seen any awkward movements as what would happen if they hadn't done this before. Vanessa and Draco had to have been going out. There was no other plausible explanation.

Lisa almost shrieked when Draco and Vanessa spun slowly while pulling eachother closer. This could be a scene out of one of her romance books! If only she knew what they were thinking. She continued to watch, her mind drinking in everything that happened between them. For a second she realized that Draco was smelling Vanessa's hair, so subtly that she almost thought that she had imagined it. Lisa's face turned pink. This seemed so much like Romeo and Juliet. Only Romeo's family knows and approves of their relationship and the Ravenclaws do not. So Vanessa had to carry the burden of her secret all by herself! Lisa sighed. Vanessa would probably end up eloping somewhere with Draco.

_Wait._

"Mandy, should we tell Vanessa that we know?" Lisa asked the girl at her side.

Mandy turned to look at her, her eyes mischievious.

"No, we'll just get her to tell us. She lied to us about Draco not even a few hours ago and now she's out here practically snogging him? No she needs to admit it to her friends. And if that doesn't work we always have that veritaserum in my cupboard."

Lisa looked uneasy for a minute, but decided that Vanessa telling them would be best for the situation.

"How are we gonna get out of here without being noticed?"

Slytherins now blocked the wall to the dungeons. Both girls paled, the Slytherins would probably kill them.

They were both wearing the standard Ravenclaw skirt and white blouse with socks and mary jane shoes. The Slytherins would notice that they were Ravenclaws, and dueling would probably break out. They would have to fight their way through the chaotic crowds in order to get to the door, and then they'd have to run through dungeons bleeding until they could get enough time to escape to the hospital wing.

"Well, we might as well get moving. It would be worse if someone just noticed we were standing here." Mandy shivered, resigned to their fate. It was her fault for coming here in the first place, but it was so worth it.

Lisa and Mandy stepped out from the shadows, and tried to look casual as they made their way to the Slytherins guarding the door. One of them grinned and walked over to them. _Shit shit shit! They found us out, we need to run!_

"Would you like to dance?" The tall boy asked Mandy politely while holding out his hand. Mandy blinked.

"What?"

The boy looked at her strangely before taking her by the hand and leading her to the dance floor which had now picked up a salsy beat. Mandy smiled at the handsome boy and danced with him, forgetting all about Lisa.

Lisa stood there in shock. She was tempted to scream, 'Mandy these are Slytherins!!!" but knew that that wouldn't go too well. So she lingered there for a moment before someone touched her shoulder. She squeaked in fright and turned around to find Theodore Nott behind her.

"Lets dance." She looked uneasy but he laughed and grabbed her elbow and dragged her to the floor before starting to lead her in a salsa dance.

"Judging by your amount of fright at dancing with a Slytherin, you weren't invited here were you?"

Lisa plucked up her courage before looking up at the hazel eyes above her.

"No, Mandy and I snuck in." She expected to be hexed, but instead he laughed.

"Looking for Vanessa?" Lisa nodded "She's over there with Draco. Quite a pair, eh?" She laughed, and he grinned. "Of course, all of the Slytherins are just waiting for them to actually become a couple. That would be quite the political alliance-"

"What?! You mean they aren't-" Lisa looked shocked, and disbelieving.

-----

-_flashback-_

_Laughter echoed through the dancing hall as the pureblood children lined up with eachother. Parents watched from the sidelines to see the product of the expensive dancing lessons they had payed for._

_Immediately a classical waltz picked up. The first pair clasped hands and led the way to the floor. Parents cooed at how cute they were together, and the blonde pair grinned wickedly at eachother. They were both easily the best in the class, and intended to out dance the other students._

_With a flourish, Vanessa stretched out from Draco while keeping their hands together and curtsied as Draco bowed. They twirled back to eachother, and Draco led the dance forward as Vanessa completed the steps backwards with a grace that wasn't common in children their age. With a gentle nudge from Draco they twirled to the left and he dipped Vanessa towards the ground before easily scooping her back up and resuming the dance._

_The other students completed the dance clumsily, while keeping as far away from their partners as possible. Draco and Vanessa's eyes never faltered from eachother and they held eachother close._

_-end flashback-_

-----

A/N: Hallo (german). That last flashback made me want to puke. Who thinks I'm making her too perfect? Any ideas on how to make her not so perfect? (and no she can't be gay, have some strange disease, or a memory problem). And if you don't review I'll make you feel guilty. My inner self: are you kidding me?! what kind of threat is that? come on you can think of something so. much. more. evil!

Sigh See what I have to put up with?

-SM


	8. Chapter 8

As time continued to pass, the Slytherins began to wander and disappear into their dorm rooms. The music began to lighten into a soft classical background while dancing stopped altogether. Draco steered Vanessa over to a couch, and they began discussing politics with several other influential Slytherins. Vanessa used a clever and cunning twist on words to rebut a Slytherins view on the cooperation of international magical entities, and the group erupted with laughter.

No one believed that Vanessa would be able to hold her own against a bunch of Slytherins, but she did, and continued to do so. The passionate discussion continued and they argued for a little less than an hour before Vanessa leaned back and yawned, her eyes winking closed. Draco smiled in amusement, and several of the group also began to yawn.

"Alright, its almost two thirty. Classes begin tomorrow so it might be best if we all get to sleep." Draco announced in a voice similar to his father's. The group dispersed and Vanessa stood up and stretched elegantly before heading towards the door. Draco caught up with her.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Draco looked at her as she shrugged and mumbled a goodnight before passing through the wall. The corners of Draco's mouth pulled down into a slight frown and he leaned against the stone wall.

_Meanwhile..._

Mandy and Liss had just made it through the wall when Vanessa had yawned and were racing back to their dorms in order to feign sleep before Vanessa returned. They sprinted down the dungeon corridor and stumbled around the corner before turning to eachother, panting.

"What," Lisa took a breath, "took you so long?"

"I was dancing," Lisa raised an eyebrow, "Aw don't look at me like that, you were dancing too."

An awkward silence descended before Mandy grabbed Lisa's hand and pulled her towards a staircase, where sixth floors above them, lay the Ravenclaw common room.

"We can talk about that later."

_Also meanwhile..._

Vanessa stepped into the frigid dungeon, and once again transformed her clothes into something warmer. Without thinking about it she turned down the corridor and ambled to a elaborate portrait of a four year old witch with an eagle on her shoulder, a snake wrapped around her arm, a badger sniffing at her foot and a lion cub pouncing on the grass behind her.

"Password?" The little witch smiled cutely

"Eagle." _Easy enough._ Along with a portrait to the kitchens, each common room was also located near one of these identical portraits, to access, all that was needed was to state the name of the animal that symbolized the house you wished to go to. Of course, even though this secret was only divulged to prefects and staff, many other students knew about it anyway.

Vanessa appeared a few steps away from the common room door.

_Also also meanwhile..._

Lisa and Mandy collapsed at the top of their third windy staircase.

"Well, at least we know she can't possibly get their before us." Mandy said to Lisa, who rolled her eyes.

"Knowing her she's probably already made it there." They burst out laughing while trying to catch their breath. "Nah, the only passage to the dungeon that's near Ravenclaw is that slide, and she'd never be able to climb up that thing."

Both of them laughed hysterically for a few more moments before the stair case behind them began to move. Lisa screamed, and Mandy sobbed with laughter a few more times before they continued their way up.

_Also also also Meanwhile... (I know you're getting bored with this but its so fun to write...)_

Vanessa knocked the wooden handle and the familiar voice asked her a question.

"Everything I say to you is a lie. Am I telling the truth or lying?"

"You are lying." Vanessa smirked as the door opened.

She sneaked up towards the dorms, and whispered, 'Moon' and then hurried towards their shared bedroom. Starlight seeped in from all of the windows and moonbeams revealed not one, but three empty beds. Vanessa frowned. She looked over to the only bed that was currently occupied and heard Luna mumble something along the lines of a Grimbly bearded goricky. Trying to hold in her laughter, she wandered to the other side of the room and transformed into her pajamas. _The girls probably followed me_. She quickly crawled into Mandy's bed, _since it was probably her idea, _and hid in the blankets, waiting to attack.

_Also4 Meanwhile..._

Mandy and Lisa clumsily climbed through the Ravenclaw common room door and hurried towards their dorms, giggling. They managed to remain slightly quiet as they sneaked past the seventh year hall, and opened the door to the sixth year rooms.

"Quickly!" Lisa whispered to Mandy as they dressed in their sleep clothes and hopped into their respectable beds. Lisa snuggled her head down into her pillow while Mandy turned over- a pair of warm arms slipped around her waist.

A blood curdling scream screeched out into the darkness followed by evil laughter.

"'Nessa!" Mandy sat up with a look of horror on her face while Lisa gave up pretending to be asleep.

"Serves you both right. Why did you follow me?"

"You knew!?" Both looked at her in surprise. _No, I didn't but now I do._ Silence fell around the room, only to be interrupted with a loud snore and a word that sounded like 'jello' that came from Luna, who remarkably hadn't been awoken by Mandy's scream.

"No big deal. Lets go to sleep." Vanessa hopped out of Mandy's bed and back into her own. The other girls exchanged a glance. They wanted to question her about the night, but she had just let them off the hook. Lisa shook her head and lied back down. Mandy sighed and did the same while Vanessa smiled, she was the ultimate manipulator.

_The next morning..._

Vanessa woke up early despite her lack of sleep and snuck past the rest of the dorms to get to the bathroom. After taking a hot but quick shower, she charmed her hair dry and it curled lightly into the strawberry blond waves that framed her face. She dressed into her ravenclaw school uniform and reluctantly pinned the dull prefect badge to her chest. Racing back to her room she grabbed her wand and flung open the curtains while singing:

"Rise and shine! Its the first day of school!" With a flick of her wand, all the blankets were pulled back, and Lisa groaned as sunlight shone in her face.

"Vanessa!" Whining broke out among her roommates. _God I love waking people up._ She laughed lightly as she swung her messenger bag onto her shoulder and skipped out of the room to catch an early breakfast.

"She is the cruelest person I have ever met." Mandy watched her friend as she left the room, "So how are we going to tell her that we know she's going out with-"

Lisa tackled Mandy off the bed and clasped her hand over her mouth while they wrestled on the floor.

" -the hell?" Mandy looked up at Lisa.

"Shh. Nobody but us should know," She glanced over at Luna, then ducked close to Mandy's ear to whisper. "and Vanessa isn't going out with Draco, I heard it from Theo."

Mandy's eyes widened as she took this in. Then she looked angry.

"Damn it! And right when I thought we had something good on her." They both laughed and went back to getting ready for their day, still wondering how to get something on Vanessa.

Vanessa danced through the hall and into the upper common room when she heard Anthony call her over.

"Hey Anth. Ready for our first day?" Vanessa put on a overly polite british accent and linked arms with him.

"Of course M'lady, care to join me for a spot of brunch?" They started walking towards the wrought iron staircase

"Will do my good man." she laughed and Anthony smiled before beginning a more normal conversation.

"You're lucky Roger decided not to have practice this morning, there was no way to remind you since you're the only girl." She scowled at him. "There's a Prefect council tonight in the meeting room, we're discussing the Halloween Ball, and whether we should start enforcing the 'No magic in the hall way' rule again. We've kind of neglected it lately as long as students are dueling, a few professors have considered stopping the rule altogether." Anthony went on. They had just entered the great hall and were heading over to the Ravenclaw table.

"Filch isn't too happy about it I suppose." Vanessa added

Anthony laughed as they sat down. Vanessa picked up an apple crisp and began nibbling while ignoring the people around her. She wasn't oblivious to the boys that had taken so much interest in her this year and even the year before; the halloween ball was going to be a problem. She had grown up with the people in Ravenclaw, and considered most of the boys there to be more like brothers, even though they didn't think that way at all. But hadn't she also grown up with Draco? That didn't explain how nervous yet happy she felt around him. _Not like it matters. School is for learning, its not some social gathering. I'm preparing for my future in the wizarding world. But as a precaution... I'll take a very active role in the ball with my prefect duties, that way, I won't be able to attend._

Draco watched Vanessa enter the great hall from the slytherin table, his mouth widened in a smirk to see that she was laughing, and then immediately morphed into a frown when he realized that she had her arm linked with a male Ravenclaw. That definitely put a damper on Draco's day.

Pansy turned to him, her mouth going a mile a minute about some hufflepuff scandal before she caught the look on his face.

"Honey, are you alright?" He shook his head slightly and she looked over to where he was staring. Vanessa was passing something across the ravenclaw table to a boy. She gasped, "Draco, is Vanessa cheating on you?!" she asked him in mock horror. He glared at her viciously and she laughed in his face. Blaise joined the conversation from Draco's left.

"Drake, you can't be so possessive when she's not even yours, just ask her out." He turned back to his toast and resumed eating, obviously done with the conversation. Draco turned back to Pansy.

"Of course, you can't ask her out of she's already taken." She added mischievously. Draco scowled.

"Ah, my seventh year slytherins, this year will, most probably, be the worst year of your young lives. I must warn, Newt classes are significantly harder than the rest, but I have confidence in all of you." Snape smirked and then started handing out schedules. Snape was always in a horrible mood when dealing with Hufflepuffs or Gryffindors, but otherwise, he was a pleasant enough teacher to be around. Despite his strange habits and sarcastically cruel nature.

Pansy snatched Draco's schedule out of his hands the moment he had touched it, and was now discussing it with Daphne Greengrass, who was sitting next to her. Draco rolled his eyes and watched Vanessa.

After Professor Flitwick handed out all of the schedules Vanessa hopped up to compare hers to her friends. Of course, since they were all sixth years now, the Ravenclaws and all of the other houses would be split up in order to learn in the classes according to their own preferences and career choices.

The year before each Ravenclaw had discussed their future with their head of house, Professor Flitwick. Vanessa was interested in going into the department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. She wanted to become part of the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad. She thought that the job would prove to be interesting.

Flitwick had said that an Outstanding in Transfiguration was a must, along with an Exceeds Expectations in Charms, Potions, DADA, and Herbology. He had also recommended Care of Magical Creatures, because he had thought it might be useful, but she declined. There was a specific department for that and she wasn't interested.

Thankfully, Vanessa's scores had met the requirements, and she was one step closer to her career. She signed up for all of the classes, plus Astronomy because she didn't have the heart to give it up. Vanessa memorized her schedule quickly before looking at Lisa's.

"You're taking ten classes?!" Vanessa stared at her in shock. Lisa nodded.

"I'm only taking three." Luna said in her lofty voice. "They're all I have to take in order to get a job in the Beast division in the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures." She yawned and began eating another biscuit. Mandy looked at her strangely before turning back to Vanessa.

"I'm taking five. I'm going into the Magical Transportation Department. Portkey office." Mandy said happily. Vanessa turned back to Lisa and asked her what she was going to do. Especially with ten NEWTS.

"Its the Department of Mysteries for me." She winked, "Cause I'm so mysterious..."

Vanessa and Mandy laughed before Lisa bid goodbye and headed off to her first class. Mandy looked at Vanessa's schedule for a moment and smiled.

"We've got Charms and Transfiguration together, but nothing today cause its tuesday. I guess I'll see you at lunch." Mandy nodded and headed off while Vanessa wondered what she should do until Potion class.

(For those who are far to inquisitive, and for my own sake in future chapters, here is her schedule)(lunch is between 3rd and 4th period.) 1st period is at 8, lunch is from 12 to 1, 6th period ends at 5. (the day is longer because they are upperclassmen now. Of course with less classes they get a whole lot more free time. Vanessa only has one two period class a day for example. (plus of course astronomy))

Vanessa Greengrass. Ravenclaw 6th Year.

Monday, 1st and 2nd period Charms

Tuesday, 3rd and fourth period Potions

Wednesday, 2nd and third period Transfiguration

Thursday, 3rd and 4th period Defense Against the Dark Arts

Friday 2nd and 3rd period Herbology.

NEWT level Astronomy will occur Monday and Wednesday nights from eight to ten at the astronomy tower.

-----

A/N: Mekseshi Hasa. (the language of me). Ni, so I'm thinking about having her be really argumentative or something, (which is kind of like me) but have it so that she likes to argue, and she doesn't mean anything offensive by it, its just something that she does, and she expects others to argue back but none of the guys in her house will because they want to get on her good side, and her friends are so used to her arguing all the time that they just don't even try anymore because they never win, so she's all depressed because she can't seem to get anyone that can argue a good argument with her and that's one of the only ways she can blow off steam. But then she discovers that Draco is perfect for it. And that he can argue and back up his opinions. Or something like that. Why don't you leave me a review and tell me what you think. And if you don't... I'll shove an umbrella down your throat, open it, and then drag it back out,

-SM


	9. go find ze other story

Hi everyone! (like a total of three people. *sobs*)

I've decided to stop writing this story. Don't cry. I'm simply rewriting it. You can find it on my page, its titled, A Snake in Ravenclaw.

I'm not sure if I posted this yet or not, but apparently Astoria Greengrass is the one who marries Draco, and I've decided to redo this story, and make it explicitly as realistic as possible.

This means that Snape is Headmaster, the carrows are at Hogwarts, the Dark Lord is at large, etc etc.

I already have the first chapter posted, and believe me, my writing style has changed dramatically. Please read, and I'll be more predictable with my updates now that I have most of it written.

Thanks.

with Love and Hate,

Q


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